The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has reaffirmed its commitment to agricultural empowerment by concluding the second batch of its Capacity Building Programme for Rice Farmers on Commercial Scale in Umuahia, Abia State.
Speaking during the closing ceremony of the training programme at the Kolping Guest House in Umuahia, Abia State, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, emphasised the Commission’s commitment to transforming agriculture into a sustainable economic driver in the Niger Delta region.
Ogbuku, who was represented by the NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr Winifred Madume, stated that the programme would equip farmers with essential skills in modern rice farming techniques, processing, and agribusiness strategies.
He urged the participants to leverage their newfound knowledge to enhance rice production, establish cooperatives, and explore further partnerships with relevant agencies and financial institutions.
The NDDC Chief Executive Officer highlighted the NDDC’s ongoing collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, to provide apprenticeship training for residents of the Niger Delta. She assured participants that the Commission would continue to implement impactful agricultural empowerment initiatives to enhance food security, create jobs, and alleviate poverty in the region.
He said: “It is important that the participants use the opportunity of this improved knowledge and skills acquired to contribute to the initiative of the Federal Government to boost rice production and processing”
The Deputy Director of Agriculture & Fisheries, Mr. Wale Oretan, noted that 300 farmers from Abia and other Niger Delta states participated in the training, which covered both theoretical and practical aspects of rice production, processing, and entrepreneurship. He encouraged the beneficiaries to apply their knowledge effectively and reinvest the empowerment support packages they received into their enterprises.
As part of the programme, each participant received a starter pack worth ₦200,000.00, along with a certificate of completion. The President of the Abia State Rice Farmers Association, Mrs. Uzoma Charity Ochulo, expressed gratitude on behalf of the beneficiaries, pledging to replicate the training in their various communities.
Professor Lovina Odoemelam, the training coordinator at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, commended the NDDC for its efforts and urged the Commission to follow up on the training to ensure the initiative’s sustainability. She emphasized the importance of beneficiaries utilizing resources wisely to achieve economic self-reliance.
